Olympus swim team showing well in first half of the season
Despite the unenviable position of being displaced longer than perhaps any other Olympus team due to the reconstruction project, the Titan swim team is having a good year.
“The kids are hanging in there,” coach Brad Goffe said. “Our swimming pool was the first thing to be torn down [to begin the building project for a new high school], and the new pool will be the last thing built, after the old school is torn down.” That means that the team will be practicing and hosting meets at Granite High for this season and next.
This year’s schedule for the Titans began Oct. 6 with the Green and Gray Tournament and a region relay meet at Herriman Oct. 18. Olympus faced Taylorsville in its first dual meet of the year Nov. 3. The Titans dominated the meet, racking up 18 first-place finishes in 22 events.
Nov. 8, Olympus faced Cottonwood and did well again, earning first place in 13 events. Both men and women’s teams finished first against Jordan Nov. 10, giving Olympus the combined win as well.
“The boys have won two of their three dual meets, and the girls are undefeated,” Goffe said. “We have really good teams this year.”
The Thanksgiving Invitational was held at the South Davis Recreation Center Nov. 18-19, where Olympus finished with a combined ninth place out of 24 teams. Individually, the women’s team finished seventh and the boys in 11th place.
“All of the swimmers had some great times at the Thanksgiving Invitational,” Goffe said. “Shawn Western set a new meet record in the 200 freestyle and was also was the Senior Swimmer of the meet. McKay Chamberlain was the Freshman Swimmer of the meet.”
Some other notable results in the 1100-swimmer meet include junior Shaylee Howard with fourth place in the 200-meter freestyle event and seventh in the 50 free; sophomore Laura Spencer at seventh place in the 200- IM; Western at second in the 200- IM; junior Melissa Hoffman at ninth in the 50- free and seventh in the 100- back; senior Emily Ference with seventh in the 100- fly; junior Jared Chamberlain was sixth in the 100- fly and sophomore Abby Loden finished eighth in the 500- yard free.
“Almost everyone swam their best times in the meet,” Goffe said. “We lost a couple of good seniors to graduation, but we still have a pretty good group.”
The Titans faced Murray in a dual meet Nov. 29, will host Hillcrest and Westlake (at Granite) Dec. 8 and will swim against Murray Dec. 14 before the Granite District Championships which will be held Dec. 16 at the West Valley Rec. Center.
